Canelo vs. GGG: 5 reasons this is the fight boxing needs

1. This fight can take boxing into a new era

With Mayweather now officially retired (we always knew he was going to come back for win number 50), boxing, despite having many great fighters right now, doesn’t have that bankable star. I think this fight can and will change that on Saturday night.

I wasn’t around for the era of Ali or Frazier or Foreman (well, outside of that surprise knockout of Michael Moorer), and while I’ve seen and love all of those old fights, I started watching boxing as a kid in the 1980s. I saw Hagler and Hearns and Leonard at the end and, as every fight fan did, was in awe of Mike Tyson as he began his rise. Tyson fights became must-see TV and boxing sustained throughout the 90s. Where are we watching the Tyson fight? Where are we watching the Holyfield fight? Roy Jones Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins came along and you had to watch those as well. Then it was Mayweather or Pacquiao and you knew something special might happen. This is what Saturday night can be.

Again, I must bring up Golovkin’s age here. He is 35, and while I still think he’s at his peak, he may not be the long-term answer to boxing’s problem. However, a 27-year-old Canelo Álvarez just might be. The mix of power and skill is mesmerizing, and while he’s already made a name for himself, a win on Saturday could catapult him into the discussion of being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Sure, Andre Ward, who’s undefeated in 32 fights, might have something to say about that, but you see what I’m getting at.

The Mayweather and Pacquiao era is over. If we’re talking heavyweights, the Klitschko era is over and that was never as big of a deal as people wanted it to be. I’m not knocking either one, but did most casual fans ever talk about where they were going to watch the Klitschko fights? Not usually.

Over the past few years, there has been talk of where we were going to watch the Canelo fight or the GGG fight, and that’s a good thing. Boxing needs those types of guys, and we’re actually getting both in one night, which is even better. This has a chance not to be the fight of the year but the fight of the decade, and that’s not something to be taken lightly. I’m not looking for Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Álvarez to “save” boxing, because despite the problems, there are good fighters and fights out there. What they can do, however, is put it back on the map and show people that this great sport is alive and well. And that’s just what boxing needs.

Next: Canelo-GGG: Who's on the undercard?

Who do you have for Canelo vs. GGG? Please feel free to join in the conversation in the comments section below and be sure to check back in with FanSided each and every day for all the latest updates on what should be a fantastic fight.